Swells Lash St. Maarten & St. Martin

This photo, from Sunset Beach Bar's webcam, was taken before the road between Maho and SSBB was closed.

15-foot swells from a big North Atlantic storm some 2500 km from the island brought in the swells, which caused Orient Beach to be closed for a time and beachfront restaurants to be deserted. Little damage of significance and no injuries have (yet) been reported. Things are expected to return to normal Friday (today).

St. Maarten Weekly News has a lead story on the storm Monday.

The Best Places to Watch Moon Rises

It's easy to notice the moon once it's in the sky, but did you ever watch it rise? It's amazing how billions of people gather to watch sunsets, but few actually watch the moon rise. Here are a couple of great locations to do that:

First: Westin Hotel Dawn beach. Go onto the beach and you'll be able to see the moon rise to the left of St. Barts, right out of the ocean. If you have a sensitive camera, and something to hold it steady, you can get some great photos here.

Second: the pool terrace at the Kissing Fish bar, Summit Resort hotel, Dutch Side. The visibility from the cliff-top bar and pool terrace is phenomenal. As we've mentioned before, during the day you can see all the way to Creole rock north of Happy Bay on the French Side.
The moon rises over the mountains here, casting its beautiful reflection on the northern part of Simpson Bay lagoon.

It's another great place to shoot pictures.

"St. Maarten and St. Martin Weekly News" and "Timesharing in St. Maarten Email Forum" Move To RSS Feeds

Our two weekly St. Maarten newsletters, both free, are now read by over 130,00 people worldwide. We had also published them here for a while but will now publish them as RSS News feeds instead. You can check (and subscribe, if you like) to those feeds through the RSS link just below the masthead at www.everythingstmaarten.com. You can also receive either or both newsletters by email -- the way most folks get them. A "subscribe" link is just above the masthead on every page of www.everythingstmaarten.com.

We'll still publish assorted St. Maarten news, features, and meanderings on our blog, but we'll no longer load it up with the newsletter every week.

***

Low Round-Trip Airfares To St. Maarten

These fares are currenly avaiilable:

Northeast: $348
MidAtlantic: $293 (not a typo)
Southeast: $264 (a big airline but not who you think)
Midwest: $293 (not a typo)
Rockies: $434
Southwest: $303
Far West: $434

Fares include all taxes and fees. For all the details, see www.everythingstmaarten.com .

St. Maarten's New "Stone" Restaurant's Website Now Live

Lots of desserts I never heard of before. Great little restaurant. Super appetizers & dinners. Get hungry at www.thestonerestaurant.com :)))

It's run by Johann Roebert, son of Celine captain Neil Roebert....

When To Buy Air Tickets To St. Maarten

Start looking now even if you're not flying to St. Maarten until next January. Waiting loses good seats.

If you have FF miles, use them; there are fewer and fewer FF seats and they go quickly, especially if you're flying weekends as a plurality of passengers do. We often go with one "free" seat and the other paid.

If you belong to JMB Website Supporters (see www.everythingstmaarten.com) you will get Airfare Bulletins soon for dates as late as December... when you see good fares, pounce, since they don't last long and when they're gone, they're gone.

Our free St. Maarten Weekly News talks about this subject often. :)

Might American Airlines Be Going on Strike?

The Allied Pilots Association, APA, www.alliedpilots.org, representing all 12,000 American Airlines pilots, has pledged "unequivocal support" for British Airways pilots who are protesting BA's plan to launch a low-fare cross-Atlantic airline, OpenSkies.

American already has labor trouble with both its pilots and its flight attendants, but APA's support for BA pilots could mean a strike soon by AA pilots. BA pilots already have voted overwhelmingly to strike that airline and if they do, APA is expected to tell its pilots to walk off the job on AA.

Talks to avert a strike by BA pilots begin on Monday. We'll keep you posted.

Buying Gasoline in St. Maarten and St. Martin (Very Tricky)

Buying gas in "SXM" is tricky.

First, Dutch side gas pumps pump in liters and charge by Antillean guilders (one dollar equals 1.80 guilders).

Second, by accident or otherwise, Dutch side pump jockeys often miscalculate what you owe in dollars after buying gas. Usually they miscalculate in their own favor. I've seen it at Shell on several occasions and a long-time member, Jim H, who is on the island now, had it happen to him two consecutive times at Texaco last week.

Solution. Right now it is much cheaper to buy gas on the French side...upwards of 20 cents per liter cheaper. The station we usually go to is Cadisco on the main drag north of Orient Beach, which has been accepting dollars 1:1 with Euros, though we don't know how long that will continue. You pay what you see on the pump.

You can also:
a) Pay in guilders on the Dutch side. Scotia Bank gives you the option of withdrawing guilders from your US bank account. Bank of America account holders do not currently pay any service fees for Scotia Bank withdrawals. There's a Scotia Bank in Simpson Bay and a Scotia Bank ATM at Westin Dawn Beach, among other places. I usually get 200 guilders...filling a tank is usually 50 guilders. (See next item).

b) Pay specific amounts. For example, if you have a 1/4 tank of gas left, your compact will likely be almost full if you add 36 guilders to it, or $20 USD ($10 = 18 guilders). You can also specify $20 and know it is 36 guilders in case they "miscalculate."

Our solution was to buy on the French Side at Cadisco. Much better...

St. Maarten's Heineken Regatta-Winning "Team Goldendog" Gets A New Website Courtesy of JMB Communications' "Websites That Work"

Heineken Regatta 2006 and 2007 bareboat champions Team Goldendog has a new website to support their programs to help abandoned and abused animals find their forever homes: it's www.teamgoldendog.org .

The website was created at no cost to Team Goldendog by Websites that Work, a unit of JMB Communications, creators of the St. Maarten Information Center, www.everythingstmaarten.com.

"When Team Goldendog founder and CEO Jeff Sochrin approached us to do this, we were thrilled to help," said JMB founder and CEO Jeff Berger. "They needed it done quickly and we pulled it off well before the start of the Regatta. We have high hopes that it will enhance Team Goldendog's worldwide fundraising efforts to help abused and abandoned pets around the world. We're also very proud to be a first-time sponsor of Team Goldendog in the Heineken Regatta and we wish them well in this year's competition."

St. Maarten & St. Martin Timeshare Condos for Rent or Sale

2008 is shaping up like a busy tourism year for St. Maarten, and a lot of the timeshare rentals posted on www.everythingstmaarten.com are renting out or selling quickly. You can rent or buy directly from the owners at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/condorentals.shtml .

Ads are free and without commission for all members of JMB Website Supporters. Info on "JWS" is here (currently three years for $59 total, quite a deal): http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/paypal.shtml

$198 Round-Trip Fares From The Northeast, Midwest, and Central Atlantic to St. Maarten
----------

Why shiver?

Fly from the Midwest, Central Atlantic, or Northeast for just $198 round trip plus taxes, or about $280 total. Warm up with these low round trip fares to hot St. Maarten beaches. These fares apply for travel from now through the end of November...but they won't be available for long.

Early this morning, we posted a Low Airfare Bulletin with all the details at www.jmbcommunications.com/secret, our "secret" website for JMB Website Supporters members only. This is the first time in years we've seen fares this low for multiple cities . . . and there are plenty of available seats.

Dozens of times a year, we tell members about the lowest fares to St. Maarten from 100 US cities coast-to-coast plus cities in Canada and Western Europe. Surprisingly, many fares this year are really low despite record-high jet fuel costs.

Stop shivering! We have a time-limited offer for you. Instead of joining for $49 for one year, you can join for three years for $59 total right now… (And renewals are just $13/year when you select our lowest-cost multiyear renewal option.)

Offer ends soon. Go here to learn more: http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/paypal.shtml

Former members can reinstate their memberships at attractive rates here: http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/support/expired.shtml

St. Maarten Winter Airfares

You'd expect that airlines -- whacked now by record-high jet fuel prices and doing everything possible to cut costs -- would not be offering very good St. Maarten fares. But you'd be wrong.

We have a crew of airfare researchers and Tracy Green, who is in charge, says they are continually baffled by the fact that they continue to find fares this good not just for this Winter, but for Spring, Summer, and even next Fall as well.

Today our members are receiving word about exceptionally low fares from the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest... fares well under what we had expected given the state of the jet fuel market.

"I don't get it," Tracy says. "But it sure makes members happy."

Mitt Romney, Smiling Liar From Massachusetts.....

Mitt Romney lied to get elected in Massachusetts and he is lying now about what he did here. Normally we don't talk politics here but as a Massachusetts-based company, now we must.

Mitt Romney said in his Massachusetts campaign for governor that billions of dollars was being wasted in Massachusetts. He said he would stop the waste, make Massachusetts fiscally responsible, and do it with no new taxes.

Had he bothered to do his homework [which he NEVER did here], he would have found that the Massachusetts legislature, in the wake of 9/11 and the fiscal catastrophes it caused, already had eliminated virtually all waste.

So instead of making "tough choices" at the state level (about which he always waxes so poetic), Romney cut local aid to cities and towns, delegating the dirty work to them.

They had a choice: cut police, fire, and schools, or raise taxes. People have died here in fires because fire stations had to be closed as a direct result of Mitt Romney's local-aid budget cuts... stemming from his overwhelming incompetence as governor.

Cities and towns were forced to lay off police, close fire stations, lay off teachers, and raise taxes. Here, more than elsewhere, elderly on fixed incomes facing rising tax burdens had to choose each winter between food, heating their homes, and paying for medicine. This guy now wants to be President?

Mitt Romney looks nice in a suit and says the right things -- mostly lies. He spent his last year as governor here away, campaigning and not doing his job. His choice for lieutenant governor was a vacuous millionaire dilettante nicknamed "Muffy" who was entirely decorative as opposed to functional.

And on health care for all...something Romney frequently brags about...Romney threatened the Massachusetts legislature with huge negative press ["They opposed healthcare" - another Romney lie] if they did not approve his awful health care plan.

His plan: "Everyone in Massachusetts is required to buy health insurance, no matter whether they can afford it, and if you don't buy it we'll fine you $900." That's a health plan?

This country has had enough of lying politicians. Although I don't agree with many of their positions, I respect the honesty and patriotism of John McCain and the honesty and freshness of Mike Huckabee. Either of them stands heads taller than Mitt Romney, the smiling liar from Massachusetts.

Now we'll get back to St. Maarten blogging...

Pelican Marina Residences Panorama

Ever since Marina Residences construction began more than a year and a half ago, Pelican C & D building owners have been livid that their views --- promised by Pelican sales people to be available in perpetuity --- have been blocked by the new resort complex.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Kim Sha Beach [the beach between Festiva Atrium Resort and Diamond (Sunterra) Royal Palm Resort] and photographed Marina Residences. We then used Autostitch software to stitch the photos together. Here's the resulting panorama, which really makes the case for C & D timeshare owners:

Get the free Autostitch software here: http://www.photo-freeware.net/autostitch.php
It's exceptionally easy to use...

See St. Maarten 10-Vacation Giveaway Winners At Everythingstmaarten.com

Just click the link near the top of the page for all the details.

*****

St. Maarten Coping Well With Intensifying Ice Storm

We'll have all the details for you in a lead story in "St. Maarten Weekly News" on Monday, December 17. Free subscriptions are available at www.everythingstmaarten.com.

*****

Dawn Beach in the 1950s and 1960s

Amazing video of "old time" Dawn Beach as it was developing 40-50 years ago....

Reminder: 10-Vacation Drawing Live This Morning at 9:10 a.m. EST

Listen live online at www.959watd.com or www.island92.com. Good luck!

About Low Airfares to St. Maarten (12/11/07)

Our staff watches airfares to St. Maarten from more than 100 cities...airline fares (including many they don't ballyhoo), charters, special fares, air-only from packages, wholesale fares, and more. They'd do what you'd do if you had many hours a day to do it, and they specialize in St. Maarten exclusively.

Overnight last night they found a number of $377 round trips from several cities (including taxes/fees) and we're transmitting a bulletin about that to members as you read this. It's surprising to see such fares in light of high oil prices, but if they can do it and still profit...fine by us.

JMB Website Supporters membership information is available on our home page at www.everythingstmaarten.com.

* * *

JMB Gives Away Ten St. Maarten Vacations Tomorrow, Dec. 12

The Town Manager and Assistant Town Manager of Plymouth Massachusetts will do the honors tomorrow as we draw the winners in "Thanks Two Million," celebrating www.everythingstmaarten.com reaching 2,000,000 site visits. See our home page for details. It will be broadcast live on radio and on the net from Massachusetts and St. Maarten (simulcast live).

(NEWS RELEASE)

"Everythingstmaarten.com" To Give Away

Ten Weeks of St. Maarten Vacations Dec. 12

(Plymouth, Massachusetts, December 6, 2007) --- The Town Manager and Assistant Town Manager of Plymouth, Massachusetts, will draw the winners of ten St. Maarten vacations next Wednesday as the Plymouth-based website "Everythingstmaarten.com" concludes its celebration of reaching two million site visits by going after a Guinness World Record.

Plymouth Town Manager Mark Sylvia and Assistant Town Manager Melissa Arrighi will draw the winners at 9:10 a. m. Eastern time Dec. 12 at radio station WATD (95.9 fm), an event which will be broadcast live on the station and on its website and simulcast in St. Maarten on "Island 92" 91.9 fm. The drawing will be streamed worldwide on the stations' websites, www.959watd.com and www.island92.com.

The everythingstmaarten.com website has quietly accumulated more than two million site visits, most of them in the last two or three years. The site -- which started as a writing sample on a Plymouth, Massachusetts PR company's website 12 years ago -- provides news and travel advice about the popular half-Dutch, half-French Caribbean island.

"This St. Maarten website started as an accident," admits its reluctant founder, Jeff Berger, owner of JMB Communications, the company that posted the original writing sample in 1995. "When search engines kicked in, they found my writing sample, and business-owner friends on St. Maarten starting calling us. I had no idea why until I did a search for St. Maarten and found my writing sample."

Today the site has more than 120 pages and publishes two free weekly newsletters -- one offering general news of interest to tourists, the other oriented toward timeshare owners. Known both as everythingstmaarten.com and everythingstmartin.com, to reflect both the Dutch and French-Side spellings, Berger's St. Maarten website offers details about island restaurants, resorts, villas, beaches, tours, and shopping.

Berger says the top winner will be able to choose four one-week stays from a list of 10 destinations -- among them two hotels, Divi Little Bay Beach Resort and Summit Resort Hotel, one naturist resort -- Club Orient on Orient Beach, French St. Martin, a luxury catamaran from Tradewinds Cruise Club, and six villas on both sides of the island. The top prize also includes jewelry gift certificates, day sails, and many gourmet dinners.

Six other winners will each win one-week vacations.

A complete list of prizes is at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/nine.html . Entries are being accepted until December 11.

Simpson Bay "Bridge Over Troubled Waters"?

We'll run an article on it in our St. Maarten Weekly News on 12/10, but it looks like Theo Heyliger may be aggressively pursuing plans to build a road from the east end of the Princess Juliana International Airport runway to the French Side to aleviate severe Simpson Bay traffic headaches. With him in charge of public works, it's a real possibility. More coming.

St. Maarten Feels Minor Effects from Strong Caribbean Earthquake

A strong Caribbean earthquake this afternoon (Nov. 29) was centered well South of SXM. Though early press reports say residents of Martinique saw significant damage on that island, early feedback from around SXM indicates that the Northeastern Caribbean island apparently suffered little damage of significance.

Flights into Princess Juliana International Airport were suspended briefly. Overall, initial reaction was rather muted, with one medical student at the American Universty of the Caribbean blogging that he initially thought it was "just another idiot" with an exceptionally strong car radio.

We will have more details in St. Maarten Weekly News on Monday. You can subscribe to that free newsletter on the home page of www.everythngstmaarten.com .

11:17 p.m. 11/29